Bobcats Take Two from Augusta State

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – The Georgia College
& State University baseball team (10-7, 3-2 PBC) defeated Peach
Belt Conference (PBC) opponent Augusta State University (7-14, 0-5
PBC) in both contests, taking game one 22-3 and edging the Jaguars
in game two 8-6. Georgia College has won three-straight conference
contests.

The highlight of game one was a grand slam by centerfielder Sean Harrell (Martinez, Ga.) followed
by a solo shot from Steve
Muoio (Rochester, N.Y.) in the fifth inning where the
Bobcats put up five runs.

Senior righty Martin
Dewald (Mannheim, Germany) gave up three runs in the
first two innings but still managed to record the first four outs
as strikeouts. Dewald (4-1) went seven innings walking one and
fanning 11 to get the win.

Georgia College bounced right back scoring nine runs in the first
two innings. First baseman Matt Pitts
(Brunswick, Ga.) and rightfielder Shawn Ward
(Martinez, Ga.) both hit two-run doubles in the first
inning. In the second, Muoio and Pitts hit RBI singles while Ward
hit a three-run bomb over the scoreboard in leftfield.

The ‘Cats rattled off three runs in the fourth and five runs
in both the fifth and sixth.

Ward went 5-for-5 with five RBI while Muoio and Harrell each
recorded four hits. Harrell finished with a team-best seven RBI as
Muoio and Pitts tallied three a piece.

After scoring 22 runs in game one, GCSU was only able to get eight
in game two but it was enough as the Bobcats won 8-6 over the
Jaguars.

Catcher Richard Pirkle (Norcross, Ga.) and Ward
both led the team with three hits as Ward led Georgia College with
three RBI.

Augusta State put up two runs in the first inning, but the
‘Cats managed to get a run in the bottom of the inning. The
Jags added runs in the top of the second but again Georgia College
bounced back and got runs in the second and third to bring the game
5-3 in favor of Augusta State.

The Bobcats took the lead in the bottom of the fifth 6-5, but the
Jags tied the game the following inning. However, in the seventh
Georgia College’s Pirkle doubled to right field to knock in
Kyle Allen (Conyers, Ga.) and Pitts hit a
sacrifice fly to score Pirkle as the ‘Cats went ahead
8-6.

Brendon Malkowski (Schenctady, N.Y.)
recorded the win, pitching seven innings giving up all six runs.
The senior (3-1) walked two and struck out eight. Darien native Clete Jessup threw two innings of
relief to get his first save of the season as Georgia College held
on to win 8-6 over Augusta State.

The Jaguars’ Alex Walker led the team going 4-for-8 on the
day while Tristan Toorie’s went 2-for-8 in the former
Bobcat’s return to John Kurtz Field.

Georgia College and Augusta State will finish the series Sunday,
March 14 with a 2 p.m. start, which was pushed back an hour due to
the last finish of today’s games. It will be “Miracle
League Day” as the teams will honor the special league
allowing opportunities for kids with mental and physical
disabilities to play the game of baseball.

The GCSU Department of Athletics, winners of the 2008-09 PBC
Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 10 varsity athletic programs at the
NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, GCSU prides
itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by
the Bobcats' multiple appearances in post-season competition as
well as documented academic success and community-service
involvement. Sign up at Twitter.com username GCSUSID for
up-to-the-minute reports, and visit www.GCSUBobcats.com to nominate
your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GCSU Athletics
Hall of Fame.